SOUTHAMPTON — Sadio Mane scored the fastest hat trick in Premier League history on Saturday as Southampton humiliated Aston Villa 6-1 to keep their hopes of European football alive.
The Senegalese striker found the net in the 13th, 14th and 16th minutes to put the Saints ahead 3-0. Shane Long scored twice for the hosts to put them up 5-0 after just 38 minutes before Christian Benteke replied for the visitors in injury time. Graziano Pelle added the Saints' sixth goal in the 81st minute.
Mane took just two minutes and 56 seconds to demolish Villa at St Mary's and surpass the previous record of four minutes and 33 seconds set by Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler against Arsenal in 1994. It also broke Graham Leggat's record for the quickest English top-flight hat-trick, scored in exactly three minutes for Fulham in a 10-1 rout of Ipswich Town in 1963.
The 23-year-old started his spree in the 13th minute when he tapped into an empty net after getting a fortunate deflection as he tried to round Villa goalkeeper Shay Given.
Just 84 seconds later Mane struck again when he latched onto a sloppy backpass from Villa defender Ron Vlaar and slotted past Given. He completed his remarkable feat with a fine first-time finish into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Although Mane made Premier League history, he couldn't break the record for the fastest-ever treble in English football. James Hayter scored three times in two minutes and 20 seconds after coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Bournemouth in their third-tier match against Wrexham in 2004.
The loss left Villa still in danger of relegation, four points ahead of third-bottom Hull, pending the outcome of later matches.